[AccessD] Need for an Access programmer

Bill,

 I'm in the same place and I feel $70 - $80 is more realistic for
programming services from a lone consultant.

 I've been charging $70/hr now for a number of years (about the past 15) and
give a 20% discount on top of that for a consistent level of work (more then
16 hours a week in a trailing two week period).  I've been using that setup
for a long time and I'm able to say that I've never lacked for full time
work.  The clients I deal with seem to feel that it's not an un-reasonable
rate. 

 I do plan to up my rate Jan 1 to $75 as I think I've fallen behind the
curve a bit.

 Some companies do charge $130 - $150/hr, but I always see those relations
as vary contentious.  Clients always feel like their getting ripped off and
are always arguing over billing.  I think if you peeled all the layers away,
you'd find their not making anywhere near as much as one would think.  So
much ends up as non-billable.

 In fact that's the way I invoiced long ago and never have a desire to
return to it.  My rate was double back then and life got far simpler when I
cut my rate in half.

 Clients got a lot happier and so did I.

FWIW,
Jim.
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of William Benson
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 01:33 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Need for an Access programmer

These discussions seem to crop up from time to time and I dont like the
impression I may be falsely giving. In truth I have only recently gotten
the courage to ask for 75/hr. I did market research to see that 75 per hr
is chump change in the B2B consulting world.

I asked someone who runs an IT group here and he told me they bill out at
about 135 per hour for their consultants. They dont do excel or access
programming They have no problem paying me 75/hr for building an excel
solution and don't care if I prefer to use access if it will help them get
a larger project out the door or provide an interim solution.

So what they really are paying for is results and their main project is
worth millions and all they know is they have an exposure they dont want to
have and want me to handle that piece.

My other client has vastly deeper pockets but hiring freezes and constant
"work-out" sessions so to he keeps telling me that he cant afford me. Then
asks me to do work anyway and pays me more than my rate as a lump sum yo
deliver something. And I checked up and found out they pay personnel
companies well over 100 per hr for talented ppl.

Not sure I know which I would rather be:  (1) consultant with a few clients
who I can bill a high rate... suffering mixture of feast (late nights and
high stress) or famine (lots of time on my hands for Listserv posting and
reading). Or (2) ... a commodity ( i.e. having a skillset only) and go from
site to site, making a lower wage but perhaps having more certainty where I
will be at any given time period.

Now that I have jinxed myself by writing this my two clients will probably
dry up and I will be starving in 2 months and neither option.

Connections are also important.... networking.

Regards,
BILL


...grabled by smrat phonn as ususl
On Nov 27, 2012 11:41 AM, "Mark Simms" <marksimms at verizon.net> wrote:

> Not even close here in Philly. Even New York since the financial crisis
has
> see a dramatic drop in rates.
>
> >
> > Well that makes me feel a lot better about my consulting rate of
> > $75/hr...
> >
>
>
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